Tweet
AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTER DEMANDS RESPONSE TO RECENT RUSSIA STATEMENT
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Nov 5 2013
5 November 2013, 16:58 (GMT+04:00)
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijan's Defense Minister received OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
and Personal Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office on November 4.
Zakir Hasanov met Igor Popov of Russia, Jacques Faure of France,
James Warlick of the U.S. and also Andrzej Kasprzyk.
They discussed the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and
the current situation in the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani
troops.
Hasanov touched on the situation of the region, the occupation of
Azerbaijan's lands by Armenia, and the problems of IDPs in the country.
He also spoke of international organizations' attempts for finding
a solution for the dispute, calling it "unsuccessful work".
Hasanov draw the co-Chairs` attention to a recent statement by the
commander of the Russian military base No102 in Armenia, stressing
the necessity of giving an official response to it.
The Russian commander Andrey Ruzinskiy recently told the Armenian media
that the military-political situation in the zone of responsibility
of military base 102 is troubled and is characterized by a number of
destabilizing factors associated with the possibility of an escalation
of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
According to him, in case of war the Russian military base may get
involved in an armed conflict in accordance with the treaty obligations
of the Russian Federation within the framework of the CSTO.
Russian Co-Chair Popov said the incident would be investigated,
adding that he did not rule out its being a misunderstanding.
Hasanov also said that Azerbaijan supports the peaceful liberation
of its occupied lands, and that Azerbaijani people would not accept
the occupation and Azerbaijan had the right to liberate its lands.
He also highlighted the country`s efforts to bring its Armed Forces
in line with modern standards.
First Deputy Defense Minister and Chief of General Staff of the
Armed Forces Colonel-General Nejmeddin Sadigov was also present at
the meeting.
Earlier in the day, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairs.
They discussed the current state of and prospects for talks to settle
the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made
territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the early
1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed
forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally
recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent
regions. The UN Security Council's four resolutions on Armenian
withdrawal have not been enforced to this day.
Peace talks, mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. through the OSCE
Minsk Group, are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed
by the Minsk Group co-chairs and dubbed the Madrid Principles. The
negotiations have been largely fruitless so far.
From: A. Papazian
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Nov 5 2013
5 November 2013, 16:58 (GMT+04:00)
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijan's Defense Minister received OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
and Personal Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office on November 4.
Zakir Hasanov met Igor Popov of Russia, Jacques Faure of France,
James Warlick of the U.S. and also Andrzej Kasprzyk.
They discussed the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and
the current situation in the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani
troops.
Hasanov touched on the situation of the region, the occupation of
Azerbaijan's lands by Armenia, and the problems of IDPs in the country.
He also spoke of international organizations' attempts for finding
a solution for the dispute, calling it "unsuccessful work".
Hasanov draw the co-Chairs` attention to a recent statement by the
commander of the Russian military base No102 in Armenia, stressing
the necessity of giving an official response to it.
The Russian commander Andrey Ruzinskiy recently told the Armenian media
that the military-political situation in the zone of responsibility
of military base 102 is troubled and is characterized by a number of
destabilizing factors associated with the possibility of an escalation
of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
According to him, in case of war the Russian military base may get
involved in an armed conflict in accordance with the treaty obligations
of the Russian Federation within the framework of the CSTO.
Russian Co-Chair Popov said the incident would be investigated,
adding that he did not rule out its being a misunderstanding.
Hasanov also said that Azerbaijan supports the peaceful liberation
of its occupied lands, and that Azerbaijani people would not accept
the occupation and Azerbaijan had the right to liberate its lands.
He also highlighted the country`s efforts to bring its Armed Forces
in line with modern standards.
First Deputy Defense Minister and Chief of General Staff of the
Armed Forces Colonel-General Nejmeddin Sadigov was also present at
the meeting.
Earlier in the day, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairs.
They discussed the current state of and prospects for talks to settle
the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made
territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the early
1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed
forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally
recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent
regions. The UN Security Council's four resolutions on Armenian
withdrawal have not been enforced to this day.
Peace talks, mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. through the OSCE
Minsk Group, are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed
by the Minsk Group co-chairs and dubbed the Madrid Principles. The
negotiations have been largely fruitless so far.
From: A. Papazian